Somewhere in the North East of England, Finn and Keely are struggling to find connection in their lives, dealing with grief and loneliness, as we follow them from their childhoods into adulthood, in this honest and empathetic book by Paddy Crewe.

Finn and Keely

‘True love’ has such a strong opening, with Keely frantically searching for her brother amongst the sand dunes, who she lives with in a caravan in a camp along with her dad, who collects coal from the beach to sell locally.

Finn is quiet and sensitive, and lives with his grandparents. He cuts a lonely figure, playing by the river by himself as a child, content in his own company. He struggles with life as he moves into adulthood, adrift from his peers and seen as a bit odd.

From the title you can probably guess that Finn and Keely eventually meet, and by that time I found myself really hoping the characters would find happiness together. I suppose that depends on whether or not you believe another person can complete you, but Finn and Keely are so lonely and unhappy that I just wanted them to wash up together on a shore and cling together.

Poignant

The writing itself is lyrical yet understated, the two lead characters both deft creations. They lived in my heart for the duration of this book, and I often found myself thinking about them when I sat the book down. The ending reaches a crescendo, with a poignancy and elegiac quality. There’s also a grittiness to story, that keeps it grounded.

What is true love?

It’s a book not just about the romantic love between two people, but the love we seek from the people around us. Many of us simply want to feel a connection, and the book made me think of ‘The lonely century - How to restore connection in a world that's pulling apart by Noreena Hertz’ and ‘Lost connections’ by Johann Hari. There’s also the love between siblings, paternal or maternal love (or lack thereof). What sustains us?

I found this to be a moving read, with fleshed out characters that I cared about. It’s a book about the importance of family and belonging, about loneliness, about grief and love - in all it’s forms.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC

Published on 4th July 2024

320 pages

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